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Saturday, November 5, 2011

How To Lose 25 lbs…

I have wanted to do this post for some time. This is not another story in a long line of diets or drink formulas or sales gimmicks.

The real truth of the matter is that I lost 25 lbs with my iPhone. Yep - it even does that.

More specifically, I have an app that counts calories. I am amazed that the secret to the success (for me anyway) is counting calories. I have heard about counting calories for a long long time but never done it.

How about you? What has worked for you over the years?

Back about 10 years ago Pam and I found some success with the Adkins diet. I think I lost 17 lbs then. But it was very stringent and not without controversy. And I love some carbs now and then.

Then in the summer we went to see our good friends Steve and Theressa in Sioux Falls. They have made dramatic changes in their weight, losing a combed 100 lbs. They look great! And are going for more. When I asked how them did it ~ she indicated she tracked the food she ate on an iPhone app.

The app is from LoseIt.com The online account synchs with your iPhone. I mostly use my iPhone.

It is pretty basic. I just enter what I eat for all my meals and snacks. And I get more calories if I exercise.
Here is what it looks like on the iPhone app:

To begin with I register my age, height and weight and my target weight. It asks how aggressive I want to be in achieved my target weight. I figured 1 lb a week would be good.

I went from over a little over 180 to 165 in nine weeks.

All the literature I have read says my ideal weight is 155 so I decided to pursue that and got there in another couple of weeks.

It has changed my thinking about weight loss. I can eat anything I want and now that I am where I want to be, I know how much I can eat to stay here. It has also changed my eating habits and I snack about 1/3 of what I used to. And I stay away from candy bars (Snickers), carbonated drinks (even the diet ones 'bloat' me).

The success has changed my thinking about food. I don't want to get over-full any more. I like feeling a little lean. I also was surprised how I didn't have a large amount of craving going on. I was more interested every day in seeing if I could lose another pound, then another etc.

One thing I wish I had done at the beginning was buy scales. We have not had any until recently. I didn't start weighing in until I had already lost over 10 lbs.

So I wanted to share it with those of you out there who have thought about it and never really counted calories before. It works.

In our RV lifestyle, it is a lot easier to put the pounds on rather than take them off with exercise and fresh air. I thought it would be easier to do.

A word of caution: though I my current daily calorie budget is 2194 calories, there have been days that I have gone over. The key for me is not to get discouraged and not to cheat on my counting! The scales don't lie. And counting the calories tells a pretty good story.

Another thing: I am very aware of is that weight lost does not mean fitness. I can be where I want to be weight-wise and be very out of shape. So I have to get in walks, runs and some time in the gym when we are near one. I can also be in relatively good shape with lots of exercise and still be over my goal weight. I spent a lot of time over the years there...

That is it for today on the Roadrunner Chronicles. We'd love to hear your story so please share it. Thanks for joining us today. Until next time...

Thanks so much for the great information on counting calories via the iPhone. I have gained (mine has been more stress) and haven't been successful getting it off. It's interesting that Mike and I actually looked at an iPhone yesterday. We have always been with Verizon and have been thinking about going with AT&T and the iPhone. I know Verizon has the iPhone also but we haven't been happy with our service here. Anyway....GREAT information!! Thanks!! and Congratulations on your weight loss.

Very impressive! Weight loss seems to be a bigger struggle the older we get :( We are currently doing a modified low carb regimen that is showing decent results. I checked out the lose it website and was impressed. It's too bad they don't have an android app.

Randy, what a great app. I checked it out on the internet, signed up and am now loading it up on my iPhone. I recently lost 20 pounds and my goal is to keep it off till January and writing down all I eat is part of the maintenance plan. This makes it sooo easy. Thanks again, Randy. For me, not Atkins, but keeping starchy carbs low, fruit and non starchy veggies, 100 gram protein portions, healthy oils. I did this for 40 days at 500 cals per day to lose the 20 pounds, now same diet basically but adding good fats and more veggies. Working so far, I even lost a pound on our cruise!

Enjoyed your post Randy. The app sounds like a really good way to do business. I have dropped roughly 40 pounds via counting calories over the last 4 years and I am still at it today, it’s just part of my life and it’s easy. In my case, I use a simple spreadsheet.

lol great I read your very interesting post...the light bulb comes on and I now wish I had not backed that triple chocolate pudding cake earlier today and served it to Rick and I loaded with ice cream. Looks like a great app...may be changing my bb for an iphone in the not too distant future..and will probably load it up...take care and congrats on the losses :)